Memorial Hermann The Woodlands celebrates inaugural Trauma Survivors Day with heartwarming stories

THE WOODLANDS, TX – As a Level II Trauma Center, Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center is equipped to care for critically ill and injured patients. Day after day, the center is the hub of life-and-death emergencies caused by traumas from minor to catastrophic.

In celebration and commemoration of the patients who passed through the doors of the trauma center, the administration and staff at Memorial Hermann organized the hospital’s first Trauma Survivors Day. Trauma teams, the media, hospital staff, emergency responders, and families and friends were invited to hear from former trauma patients who credited local EMS and the MH staff for saving their lives and witness reunions between these patients and their caregivers.

Melanie Bradshaw, MSN, RN, Trauma Survivor Support Coordinator welcomed attendees to the event. Denise Martin, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, and Trauma Program & Emergency Department Director conducted the prayer before Trauma Medical Director Timothy Hodges, MD, gave the introduction.

Three trauma survivors who had been tended to and cared for by the Memorial Hermann Trauma Center staff then told their stories, including Alexander and Meissa (last names withheld), who had barely survived horrific motorcycle accidents. Their testimonies to the assemblage was proof positive of the miraculous work performed by the staff and teams at the center.

After the speeches, the survivors met and mingled with the emergency crews that had responded to their respective emergency calls for a life-affirming reunion.

The Trauma Survivorship Program at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands offers free resources that allow survivors to share their stories and challenges with others who have had similar experiences, while learning powerful skills for coping and navigating their new lives post injury. The center currently offers a monthly virtual support group for survivors, the ability to connect with a ‘peer survivor / mentor,’ a monthly newsletter, and referral to a wide variety of resources both locally and nationally. All services are free and open to anyone who has sustained severe traumatic injury, regardless of where treatment was obtained.